Abstract: A guide block (11) has a groove (16) with a flat floor cut into it, in which an endless belt (15) containing perforations (17) travels. A suction opening (18) opens into the floor of the groove (16), to which a vacuum is periodically applied by means of a valve (12). The endless belt (15) travels over a stack (1) of sheets (2) by means of guide rollers (4,5) and a drive roller (3). The vacuum, when periodically applied by the valve (12), operates through the perforations (17) so that the topmost sheet (2) of the stack (1) is sucked against the endless belt (15) and carried away in the same direction (28). One preferred form of the endless belt (15) is a toothed belt, with spaces between the teeth (21) that form vacuum chambers (22). With this compact and therefore easily positionable device, sheets (2) are sucked up from a stack (1) and transported away while maintaining their orientation, meaning that very high production rates are attained.

Abstract: A folding machine comprises at least one folding unit including a plurality of conveyor belts (12), a stop member (14) extending transversely of the conveyor belts, a plurality of folding rolls disposed below the conveyor belts and extending parallel thereto, a folding blade adapted to be moved within a gap defined by the folding rolls, and a detector device (light barrier 16). The folding machine is characterized by a length-of-path pulse generator (22) coupled to the conveyor belts (12), a presettable counter (24) coupled to the length-of-path pulse generator (22), the start input (26) of said counter being connected to the detector device (16) and the distance between the detector device (16) and the stop member (14) at least equalling the length of the longest sheet to be handled, and a logic circuit (30, 36, 38) adapted to start the folding blade driving means (21) only upon the counter (24) reaching a predetermined count and upon the terminal edge of a sheet having passed the light barrier.

Abstract: A flat pile - automatic sheet feeder for lifting sheets from a flat pile and feeding them further with a sheet separator which has at least one suction head at least one sensor and a shaft, which during the rotation moves and returns the suction head from a rest position which is lifted off the pile into a suction position lying on the flat pile and moves and returns the sensor from a sensing position lying on the flat pile into a release position swung out of the way from the flat pile, and with a removal device pulling-off the sheet which is lifted by the suction member.